We have previously described techniques for collecting and visualising mobile phone network data (our U.S. Pat. No. 7,830,812, ‘Viewpoint’, hereby incorporated by reference). More particularly this describes techniques for aggregating network monitoring data into higher level statistics for the automatic reporting and geographical visualisation of performance engineering information (KPIs—Key Performance Indicators) on maps, in such a way as to enable drilling down to low level data, in embodiments down to individual messages. We have also described related techniques for state modelling of mobile devices, and data processing techniques for handling very high throughput data of the type which may be collected from mobile phone networks (our U.S. Pat. No. 7,881,319). We have also described techniques for identifying network areas for optimisation (our U.S. Pat. No. 8,032,131, ‘Insight’, hereby incorporated by reference), as well as techniques for implementing self-optimising/healing networks (our U.S. Pat. No. 7,941,136), also hereby incorporated by reference. We now describe techniques which build upon and extend these earlier approaches.
There has been an exponential rise in mobile data usage, but there has also been a rise in the number and complexity of the different devices connecting to a mobile network. More generally, troubleshooting networks has become more difficult, and existing technical data can sometimes prove insufficient for solving real-world problems. The inventors, however, have recognised that additional technical data is effectively available from information relating to subscriber accounts, and that this information may effectively be used as a proxy for additional RF data.